Designing Yourself

This episode's topic was suggested by the great Lauren Bacon. Thanks, Lauren!

On this episode, Whitney and Paul discuss comparisons and, in particular, the stories of ourselves we carry around in our heads. We recognize the idea of having a choice in the matter of that story — we can stop reading the book — but then, where do you go from there? 

When we either find the right story to read or stop reading other people’s stories and write our own, we attract people into our lives who are, in a much deeper, more authentic sense, meant to be there.

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Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.

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On this episode, we delve into the topic of recharging. Sometimes our work and other commitments can deplete our energies - even when they're really positive things. So how do you fill yourself up again, and stay motivated? We explore where this feeling originates, the importance of recharging, being aware of our bodies and how we're feeling, and more.

MP3 | iTunes | RSS | Full transcript

Help us out! Rate or review our show on iTunes! This helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.

Got something to say? Tweet at us or call 1-404-500-SELF.

In this week's episode, we explore stress. What is stress? What causes stress and how can we deal with it? We contemplate whether stress is objectively negative and delve into the view of stress as a motivator and ultimately, positive reaction to happenings around us. 

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Help us out! Rate or review our show on iTunes! This helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.

Got something to say? Tweet at us or call 1-404-500-SELF.

Links and references for this episode

Our topic this week came to us from Morgan Haines at a little creative!

This week, Paul and Whitney talk about waiting for permission. When is the right time to ignore what other people are giving you permission to do, and start doing the things you want to do? Do you need to get permission from other people to change yourself? All this and more, on this episode of Designing Yourself.

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Full transcript of this episode

We want your help: If you like the show, please follow us on Twitter and review us on iTunes. It makes a difference because it helps other people find us, too!

Follow the show @DesigningYou

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Links and references for this episode

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Both Paul and Whitney have been working on what it means to be ready for something. In this episode, they get to the heart of readiness and how it relates to the story - or website redesign! - that is our lives. They discuss living with outdated things, and how to know when you're ready to move forward with various aspects of your life. Whitney also talks about her shift from consulting to coaching, and what that means for her career and her clients. (This is a good one.)

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Full transcript of this episode

We want your help: If you like the show, please follow us on Twitter and consider reviewing us on iTunes. It makes a difference because it helps other people find us, too!

Follow the show @DesigningYou

Follow the hosts @whitneyhess @paulmcaleer

We love your feedback! Call us: 1-404-500-SELF

Links and references for this episode

Centralis

Aquanotes

A conversation before our recording led us to the topic of growth. In this episode, Paul and Whitney dig in to the components of growth, with a focus on both the positive (improving) and negative (pains). We also discuss the role of material things in facilitating growth, signaling success, and what their value is to us now.

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Full transcript of this episode

We want your help: If you like the show, please follow us on Twitter and consider reviewing us on iTunes. It makes a difference because it helps other people find us, too!

Follow the show @DesigningYou

Follow the hosts @whitneyhess @paulmcaleer

We love your feedback! Call us: 1-404-500-SELF

Links and references for this episode

Peter Gabriel, "Big Time"

In this episode, Paul and Whitney explore anxiety after Paul realizes that it may not be exactly the same as fear. This can shape how we feel about it and react to it. So what is anxiety? And what can we do to overcome it?

Roz Duffy

Then, we have the opportunity to chat with Roz Duffy. Roz has been helping create great communities, but recently decided to turn her attention inward and focus on her choices. We talk about experiencing life and creativity while working through some tough emotions.

Roz Duffy is a user experience strategist and researcher. Translation: She loves creating great experiences for humans of all kinds. You’ll often find her bringing meetings to life with design activities or organizing events and conversations around empowering change and thinking creatively.

When not trying to understand the way people interact with the world around them, Roz can be found sipping soy lattes, running or writing in her journal. 

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Full transcript of this episode

We want your help: If you like the show, please follow us on Twitter and review us on iTunes. It makes a difference because it helps other people find us, too!

Follow the show @DesigningYou

Follow the hosts @whitneyhess @paulmcaleer

We love your feedback! Call us: 1-404-500-SELF

Links and References for This Episode

Back to Work #153: Anxiety's a Goat

Roz Duffy's site, Stellargirl

In lucky episode 13, Paul and Whitney dig into work and effort. What happens when we get paid for something, versus just "having fun" at it? How do we choose where to put our effort? And why does work have such a negative connotation, anyway?

Karen McGrane of Bond Art + Science

Then we sit down with the great Karen McGrane. Karen shares how she divvies up her days and her efforts, the balance between client work and non-client work, and chasing down interesting ideas.

Karen has been making the internet more awesome for nearly 20 years. You might know her from her seminal book Content Strategy for Mobile, her work at Bond Art + Science, or one of her many, many articles in publications such as A List Apart. Last year, Karen spoke at the Dare Conference. Her talk, “I Suck! And So Do You!”, was shortlisted for Conference Talk of the Year at the 2014 Net Awards - a well-deserved honor!

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Full transcript of this episode

Follow the show @DesigningYou

Follow the hosts @whitneyhess @paulmcaleer

We love your feedback! Call us: 1-404-500-SELF

Links and References for this Episode

The Alton Brown Podcast #7: And Then There Were Three

Karen McGrane's talk, "I Suck! And So Do You!": transcript, video

In this episode, our 12th (and #2 in Season 2!), we talk about energy. What does it mean when we feel high energy or low energy? How do we balance our energy and find grounding? This is the episode where Paul finally talks chakras, and we explain it in a way that hopefully doesn't sound too "whoo-whoo."

Dr. Leslie Jensen-Inman of Center Centre

Then, we talk with Dr. Leslie Jensen-Inman of the new UX school Center Centre. Hear all about her 14-page to-do list and how she keeps herself energized amidst all the stress. We're so happy to have had a chance to chat with her.

Dr. Leslie Jensen-Inman is a maker of awesomeness and a doer of good. She is a designer, speaker, author, and educator. As such, she connects industry, education, and community. Leslie is co-founder of the Unicorn Institute and Center Centre, where she works to improve the state of design education. Creative Director and Co-Author of the book, InterACT with Web Standards: A holistic approach to web design, Leslie has written articles for publications such as A List Apart, .net magazine, Ladies in Tech, and The Pastry Box Project. 

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Full transcript of this episode

P.S. Sorry for Whitney's sucky audio towards the end. No clue what happened there!

Follow the show @DesigningYou

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Links and References for This Episode

Unicorn Institute 

Center Centre

User Interface Engineering

Chakras

Amy Cuddy "Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are" TED Talk

In the first episode of season 2, Paul and Whitney talk about intention. What happens when we focus on something and work to realize it? Why do New Year's resolutions tend to fail?

Gina Trapani of ThinkUp, Todo.txt and Lifehacker

Plus, our (first ever!) interview with Gina Trapani. You might know Gina from her amazing work at Lifehacker, used Todo.txt, or heard her on one of her podcasts – This Week in Google and All About Android. And now, Gina is the co-founder and creator of ThinkUp, a tool that helps people understand how their tweets and Facebook posts affect others. Gina joins Paul and Whitney to discuss intention and how the tools we use can help us along the way.

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Full transcript of this episode

Follow the show @DesigningYou

Follow your hosts @whitneyhess @paulmcaleer

Got something to say? Call us at 404-500-SELF!

Links and references for this episode

Gina Trapani

ThinkUp

Todo.txt

Lifehacker